as in erupted
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
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Recent Examples of broken out
Like his sister, Norm MacLean (Moises Arias) has also broken out of the vaults and come face to face with the Wasteland.
—
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
YouTube’s business also encompasses subscription revenue from YouTube TV, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, which isn’t broken out by Alphabet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
In Minneapolis, confrontations have broken out and multiple protesters have been arrested.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
The ratio has also broken out above the 40-week moving average — an additional positive catalyst in relative terms.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
YouTube’s business also encompasses subscription revenue from YouTube TV, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, which isn’t broken out by Alphabet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
In Minneapolis, confrontations have broken out and multiple protesters have been arrested.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
The ratio has also broken out above the 40-week moving average — an additional positive catalyst in relative terms.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken out
Verb
-
Their pioneering sound was the bedrock that led to salsa’s enduring popularity, which erupted in the Seventies.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2026
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Angst over the city’s changing demographics has often erupted in Springfield’s city commission meetings, where citizens can speak their mind at an open podium.—
Caitlin Hu,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That was followed by another mishap in September, when the booster originally intended for Alpha's seventh flight exploded during prelaunch testing.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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In contrast, batteries with conventional liquid electrolytes ignited or exploded during testing.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20out. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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